Fire Beauty and the Water Beast
by Scyler
Summary: Cursed as a child for something she couldn't control Katara was turned into a beast. Now if she doesn't find someone to love her, she and all those she cares for will never be human again. (written by The Wolf)
1. Prologue

**Me: Hey guys this is the story I was telling you about. This is actually written by The Wolf. She doesn't really have an account here so she wanted me to help her out. I really don't mind. :D Anyway, on with the show!**

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"Mama Sokka said I looked like a platypus bear, " Katara cried to her mother. She couldn't believe that her brother could be so mean especially on her birthday! But her mother didn't punish him no the mama's boy told their mother that she had called him a red butted baboon. That may have been the case but her mother didn't have to know that. As her mother looked at them Katara knew she would say something about the love they must have for each other... not that she truly believed that. Though if she was being honest she really did love her older brother not that she would tell him that.

"Katara," their mother said with the utmost patients knowing the little girl just wanted to go play. "You are a pretty little girl and one day soon you will be a beautiful young woman and will have to learn to get along with everyone. And yes that includes Sokka." All Katara could do was smile at her mother and stick her tongue out at her brother knowing she should have gone to their father. He would have scolded Sokka the right way. "Now go run along and have fun at your party Katara." Katara didn't have to be told twice by her mother as she ran towards the ball room.

On her way there she crashed into the very solid form of her father's legs. As she looked up at her father she couldn't think of any person who was better. He had the biggest smile on his face as he picked her off the ground and swinging her into his big bear hug. It was only when she was put down did she notice that her father wasn't alone. Standing next to him was an older and rounder man with a pointed gray beard and the happiest smile she had ever seen.

"Katara this man is Iroh. The man who brings us all of the special tea that you love," her father's smile reached all the way to his eyes so she knew that he was telling her the truth.

"It is a pleasure to met you little princess," Iroh said holding out his hand for her to shake. Katara looked at the hand and decided instead to give him a hug. Though she couldn't actually put her hands all the way around him the hug made him laugh. She liked the way his stomach giggled next to her ear. "You know that I have a nephew who is about your age. I think that you should go find him," this made Katara curious and she ran into the ballroom without even saying good bye to the cheerful adults.

As Katara looked around the ballroom she couldn't help but smile at all the happiness she saw. That was true for everyone in the room except one single woman. She was probably the most beautiful woman Katara has ever seen. The tall elegant women was standing alone over looking the outside pound and the moonless night. Katara wanted everyone to smile so she ditched the thought of finding the boy and went to her instead.

"Excuse me," came her sweet little voice. "Why are you so sad?"

When Katara saw the twisted smile cross the woman's face she tried to run but the woman grabbed her before she could. "I was sad because I couldn't find you. The little girl blessed with beauty but the goddess of the moon. I will not let you become more beautiful than me girl," the woman brought her face closer so that her and Katara where nose to noses. "You will become a beast girl and everyone in this castle will be trapped here with you. If you don't find love then you will die."

All Katara could do was scream as her body changed into a beast and her castle was consumed with the witches fire. Iroh did all he could to save everyone but he couldn't get to the king or queen. His protective flame barely got his nephew in time to save him from the full curse but the boy would be forever scared on his eye. Iroh hid the castle from all who would seek to destroy it and in time the castle and the beast where forgotten.


	2. Little Village

**The Wolf - I figured that I should say something but to be honest I have no idea what I should say. This chapter is mostly about Zuko but I promise that Katara will be in here eventually.**

**Response to reviews:**

**Ryo-chan wolfgirl - I have two things to say to you. First I love the name! Wolves are amazing! Second yes Katara is usually the beauty and Zuko the beast but I decided that why not let the girl be the monster I mean she can be a super hero, a super ****villain, or a damsel in distress BUT WHY CANT SHE BE THE MONSTER! Monsters are pretty cool if you ask me. That is why I switched it up.**

**This is to all other readers The Wolf will respond to who ever she feels has left something interesting to talk about so leave a comment if you want.**

**Me: HA! I have made my appearance! :D Anyway, this is the way she normally is. Don't feel like she is trying to be mean to any one or anything like that. You get used to it after a while. :D Well , we hope you enjoy chapter 1! Please read and review and NO FLAMES! They are not welcome. (The Wolf might kill someone, probably me)**

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"Uncle I am going into town," called the young man as he exited the little cottage he shared with his only living family member Uncle Iroh. He couldn't say that he wasn't happy in their little home in fact it was the only place in the world besides the bookstore or his training ring that he was happy. He would have never left the home if it weren't for the fact that he had just finished the book he got yesterday and needed something else to keep his mind busy. It didn't take long for him to reach his destination and he was bored to see that this morning was just like every other morning. The young man couldn't count the number of times that he had wished that they would move to the big city and still wondered why his uncle chose to stay here in the middle of no where.

The man smiled as he heard the usually argument between the barker and the butcher about how they should trade goods. How the man running the stall was hitting on a woman and his wife deciding to slap in the back of the head knowing she would do it again tomorrow. Though his eyes really lit up and his lips became a warm smile as he entered the book store. Bumi the owner of the store was playing in the back with his giant rabbit when he heard the boy enter.

"Zuko you are early today. I take it you enjoyed the book that I let you borrow?" his crocked smile was the same one he always gave Zuko and he knew that it would be getting another book to borrow.

"Well I finished my book and I know how much you want them back after I finish," Zuko was already letting his hands slid over the all to familiar books resting one on the only book he had ever read twice from here.

"If you want you can have that book boy," Bumi said without evening looking at what book it was.

"You sure?" Zuko could never tell with the old loon if he was being serious or if he was joking.

"Of course now leave. I have to go and play with Mr. Booboo," cried Bumi as he pushed Zuko out the door.

As Zuko walked out of the store his hands securely on his new book all he could think about was his mother. This had been her favorite book to read to him as a child before she left, before she abandoned him. In the book Ursa had always made him the prince trying to save the peasant girl. The great fire bender who loved the lowly water tribe peasant. A young prince banished and scarred looking for a purpose. He always thought of the prince as someone like him since he was scarred, but Zuko wasn't going to fall in love.

When he finally reached the fountain Zuko looked around the bumbling tumbling village. He waved or smiled back to any who gave him one first. He knew that the locals were again gossiping about him and his uncle. At almost twenty one Zuko was a very handsome young man and his little to no interest in woman came to no surprise when he looked at the little water tribe peasant in his book. She had to him an almost otherworldly beauty and gave him hope that if she could love the comet scar on the prince than maybe someone could love his comet scar. "If only you were real," he sighed.

"If only who were real Zuko," came from the ever bubbly Ty Lee. Now his mood started to sour for when Ty Lee is around Mia was sure to follow.

"No one," Zuko replied as he tried to keep the book from them but Mai's hands were quicker.

"Now what is this?" Mai started to flip through book. "Why are you reading this garbage isn't it meant for small children who are scared of the dark?" Zuko lunged for the book but Mai threw it on the ground. But just as his hands brushed the cover Ty Lee sweep it back up.

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to things other than books? I mean you are a guy right? Girls are usually what guys your age think about. Unless you are crazy like Uncle Iroh," Ty Lee squealed in delight flipping through the book until she found a picture of the water tribe girl. "Is this the girl you were talking about?"

"I said it is none of your business," Zuko said coldly. His temper was starting to get out of hand as he grabbed the book from Ty Lee. "And why should I be interested in girls if all they care about is how hot I am or what I am going to do with my life."

"Because you should already accept my father's offer and be with me. We can give you and the loon everything you could ever want," Mai commented dryly because god forbid she ever show any emotion.

"Don't you dare call my uncle a loon," Zuko hissed. "I don't need you or your father's money to be happy."

Ty Lee grabbed Mai's arm and tried to pull her away from Zuko. She could already see the sparks in his free hand starting. If Mai wasn't careful she was going to get burned and badly but the gloomy girl only seemed to notice the boy who was completely out of reach not his anger or any of his other feelings when it came to her. "I think you should go back to your house Zuko... I see smoke." Ty Lee said as meekly as possible hoping that this would make him leave.

Zuko turned to the direction of his home and saw the smoke. "God damn it!" He ran towards the cottage ignoring and not hearing the words that passed between the two girls he left. Zuko never realized that he was being watched by someone who could destroy his whole world...again.

"That right my dear sweet child run, run as fast as you can to that old fool. My fire will get to you soon," came the wicked voice from a woman not see for nearly nine years.


	3. Tea Master

**The Wolf - I am just going to say two things about my story. First is that my chapters are only going to be short for the first couple because we haven't had Zuko and Katara actually meet yet. Second I do hope that you are enjoying the story so far and the speed at which I am writing this story right now will not continue that is of course because school will start back up for me next Monday and the story is going to get much more complex with the coming chapters because there will be both Katara and Zuko in them so I will have to think about them a lot more. As always thank you very much for reading. Enjoy!**

**PS - This chapter will be super short because well it isn't a very big or complex scene sorry.**

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"Uncle are you alright?!" Zuko cried as he pried open the cellar door letting all of the smoke leave the room. When he saw his uncle he feared the worse. The plump older man with the thinning hair and an ever growing gray beard, was bent over and letting out an obscure and painful groan. But then Zuko realize that this was the same groan that he had heard many times before. A groan that meant only one thing that he had ruined and failed experiment with tea yet again. "Uncle Iroh! I ran all the way from town because I thought that you were in trouble but it is just burnt TEA!"

"But I almost got the perfect tea and it would make me the tea master to the king! You and I, we would move to the big city and be free of this little village. Though you may want to visit that pretty girl Mai or ask her to visit once we move," Iroh said as he went about mixing herbs till he felt that he could get it perfect.

"Wait are you telling me that we are leaving?" Zuko was at a lose for words the very wish and dream he had held for so long was almost within his reach. Then he remembered the Mai comment, "And Uncle I would never let her know where we live again. Yeah she is pretty but she is cold and heartless. Uncle she is not the girl for me and there is no way in hell that I would ever consider her for anything but maybe and I am using maybe loosely but maybe a friend." He knew this is were the conversation would end for the night but then again this conversation always ended here and was brought up at another time. Zuko watched in silence as his uncle started to brew the tea. This tea smelled pretty good even to a tea hater like himself and he was sure that he would be the test dumbing for this tea since his uncle loved all tea no matter what the kind. "Yes, I will try this batch of tea."

"Thank you my boy," Iroh had the biggest grin on his face. As Zuko took a cautious sip at first but the flavor of this tea was like the sweetest wine that he had ever had and he couldn't get enough of it. "I have to get ready I am suppose to go see the king tomorrow."

Zuko hugged Iroh and ran out the cellar to get there kimodo rhino, Shingi, ready for the long journey a head of his uncle. Zuko couldn't wait for the new life that they would have the life that they could have somewhere else away from all of these villagers. Some place where he could truly fire bend and not worry about others. Some place where he could met a girl like the one from his favorite story.

"I will be back soon Zuko, take care." Iroh called from atop Shingi as he rode away. Zuko hoped that his uncle wouldn't get lost and was sure that even if Iroh got lost there was no way that Shingi would.


End file.
